IDUKKI: As many as 18,000 devotees from Kerala and Tamil Nadu celebrated the Chitra Pournami festival with religious fervour at Sri Mangala Devi Kannagi Temple inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) bordering the two states near here on Monday. Hundreds of pilgrims walked barefoot through forest paths to pay homage to the deity Kannaki in the temple.
Compared with previous years, this year witnessed more devotees trekking through the forest. The ritual commenced with special pujas and prayers to the aesthetically-decorated deity in the morning. Both Kerala Namboodhiris and Tamil pujaris performed pujas jointly. Devotees waited in long queues for the darshan.
After homam, devotees showered the deity with flowers. Some prepared a pongal on the temple grounds. A section of pilgrims brought a pair of anklets decorated with flowers, took it around the main temple and performed special pujas to it.
People thronged the temple since 6 am. Revenue officers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, in association with Kerala forest and police officers had made elaborate arrangements for the convenience of pilgrims. The district police made systematic efforts to regulate the crowd.
Security was beefed up in the temple and on the forest road. A doorframe metal detector was used for the first time to scan pilgrims at the entry point at Thekkady. Forest officers checked every vehicle at the entry point of the forest and seized all plastic bottles carried by pilgrims. Only water bottles of 5 litres or more were allowed.
The pilgrims however complained that forest and revenue officers were rigid with them. The truck carrying free food to the temple was banned at the forest check post, though the food was later supplied to devotees. Delays in arranging drinking water for pilgrims at different vantage points also caused them some inconvenience.
The Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) issued vehicle passes to more than 553 vehicles and charged Rs 90 per trip. On an average, one jeep made at least seven trips; around 1,200 trips were made in all to the hill shrine. Compared to the previous year, the weather was pleasant this year, making it easier for trekkers and devotees reaching the temple.
Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar and other board members were present at the temple all day. Padmakumar said the TDB has a definite development plan for the Mangaladevi temple. “After a joint discussion with the Tamil Nadu and Kerala branches of the Kannaki Trust, TDB will consult the Chief Ministers of both states to take a decision on the temple before next year if possible. If needed, the TDB will seek the help of Central government on the issue as well,” he said.
He said presently there doesn’t exist any conflict over the temple between Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the issues are intentionally created by some officers in power. “TDB won’t allow the temple to get into ruin to safeguard the personal interest of anyone and will move any extent to protect the temple from destruction,” he said.
Coming down heavily on the negligence of forest authorities in arranging proper facilities to pilgrims and banning the truck carrying food to the temple, he said the action of the Forest Department to protect the forest by opposing the people was not at all good.
“Forest conservation is a must. However it should be done without denying the interests of the people,” he said.He added he will meet the Chief Minister on Tuesday to give a detailed report on the temple and necessary steps will be taken at the earliest for its renovation, as well as to begin regular worship inside the temple.